Hi, we are Ari and David from Northern California! We know you’re reading this at a particularly stressful time. As a gay couple, we’re no strangers to stressful moments. Hopefully we can put your mind at ease a little bit. In our profile you’ll read all about who we are, our longtime commitment to each other, and our love of travel and great food. The most important thing that you should know is, if we are lucky enough to be chosen, we will give your child a safe, loving, and fun home, and they will always know how much you love them.

From the earliest days of our relationship over a decade ago, it was clear that raising a child was important to both of us. We’ve established a beautiful life together, with abundant love and laughter. Now, we’re ready and able to share this boundless love as parents. We know it will be the greatest joy of our lives to welcome a little one into our family.

We can’t wait for the many family vacations, ski trips, dance parties, bedtime stories, new adventures, and so much more that we’ll share together as a family.

We met in Washington, DC in summer 2012 on an old-fashioned blind date set up by a friend. We bonded when we both wanted to order everything on the menu and shared a silly sense of humor. We knew each other was “the one” after our third date. Ten months later we moved in together, got engaged the next year (in Iceland!), and married in summer 2015 on a rustic mountaintop in rural Maryland. Right after our honeymoon, we moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where we’ve lived ever since. We’ve built our home here by taking advantage of the bounty of amazing food around us, our easy access to California’s natural wonders, the ability to travel and explore new destinations, and spending time with our close group of friends.

This shared love of exploration, discovery, and most of all, fun and laughter, has been the centerpiece of our partnership since Day 1.

I was born and raised outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My passion is the performing arts. As a kid, I took part in all of my school musicals, choir and more. Now I use my strengths as a professional fundraiser at a large regional theater to make sure the arts have the means to survive and thrive. David and I can frequently be found in a theater seeing everything from a new ballet to a beloved musical. Our shared love of the arts and culture has bonded us.

I take a light-hearted approach to life, trying to find the fun and humor in every situation. I can’t wait to raise a child with David to open up their eyes to the magic and wonder of the arts, and fill each moment with light and laughter.

Ari is my rock. He constantly lifts me up with his humor and zest for life, and he keeps me grounded and steady with his sensitivity and calm. Ari is smart, funny, outgoing, charming, driven, and compassionate. I’ve never met a person more committed to the people and the ideals that he holds dear. He inspires me daily to be a better human being. Ari’s passion for the performing arts and the outdoors has fueled my love of them too, and he makes sure that the two of us are never far from somewhere fun, exciting, and new. When he smiles (which is often) I can’t help but smile too. We are two parts of the same whole, and I am at my best when I am with him.

Ari has a unique ability to connect with people at any age, from toddlers to grandparents. He loves kids, and as I watch him play with our friends’ children, I can clearly see the warm, loving household that Ari and I will form together with our future child.

I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m an only child. From an early age, I loved learning about different people and cultures—and cuisines—from all around the world. I’ve lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Mexico City, Mexico, and traveled all across Latin America. In addition to English, I speak fluent Spanish and Portuguese, and I love to use my language skills to get to know people. I’m committed to social justice and equality, and I work as a public interest lawyer at a large public university to build a better and fairer society. I also love to cook, whether a simple but delicious Tuesday night dinner for me and Ari or an elaborate feast for our friends.

I’ve always wanted to be a dad. A few months into our relationship, Ari and I were playing with a family friend’s baby and I knew then that Ari was the person I wanted to raise a family with.

David is brilliant, funny, thoughtful, passionate, caring, kind, loving and sweet. As if that weren’t enough, he possesses each of those qualities in spades. He has a heart of gold, wanting to make the world a better place for the most people possible. His desire to do good in the world drives nearly every decision that he makes. He will always go the extra mile for others and expect nothing in return. He actively seeks out different cultures and will learn everything he can about them. He loves fiercely and effortlessly, with a warmth and generous spirit that draws me and others closer to him every day. Also, I think it’s important to note that he is incredibly handsome.

Watching David with our friends’ children is one of my favorite things in the world. He is such a natural caretaker and playmate. I truly can’t wait to see him be a dad and experience fatherhood by his side.

Something we love about having met at such a young age is that our hobbies and passions have developed jointly.

Our biggest and first shared passion in life is food, especially cooking. From our shared Jewish heritage and David's upbringing in the Southwest, we make latkes (potato pancakes), matzo ball soup, and brisket for Hanukkah and Passover, and Mexican pozole and New Mexican green chile stew for Christmas and celebratory feasts with friends. We also love to try new recipes from different cultures (lately Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian), finding joy in discovering new-to-us ingredients and beautiful fresh produce at our small local market.

David is usually the chef, and Ari handles desserts as an avid baker. We daydream about cooking and baking with our future little one.

We also share a sense of adventure and discovery. Travel is a big part of our lives, and a main reason we want to become parents is to introduce our future child to the world around us. We try to visit at least one National Park each year, with a special place in our hearts for Yosemite and Redwood National Parks. We visit our beloved Disneyland or Disney World once a year, and aim to take a ski trip to Lake Tahoe, Utah, or Canada every winter.

Together we have traversed glaciers in Alaska and volcanoes in Hawaii, canoed through the Amazon River, and explored geysers in Iceland.

We love the arts and nature. Music and theater were central parts of our growing up, and a shared love of the arts bonds us together. David played the trumpet all through college and beyond, and Ari performed lead roles in school musicals and choir. Now, we frequently see shows, concerts, ballet performances, and more. Ari has even dedicated his career to the performing arts. The arts teach us creativity, perseverance and teamwork, and we’re eager to bring those values along with a love of the arts into our future child’s life.

As much as we enjoy travel and adventure, we love nothing more than mornings at home together, drinking home-brewed coffee from our local roaster, and watching the Today Show.

Our home is a charming three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 100-year-old bungalow in a quiet residential neighborhood in Oakland, California. We bought it in 2021 to have ample room to grow our family. Last year we renovated our fenced-in backyard, which is now a small oasis with a brick patio and lush green spaces. As a result, we love to garden and pluck fresh herbs, lemons, and guavas year-round.

Our neighborhood is truly diverse and walkable, with lovely shops and restaurants nearby. A few blocks away is a brand new playground, and within a 10-minute drive is fantastic hiking among redwood trees in the Oakland hills. Just a bit further are San Francisco, the Pacific Ocean, Napa and Sonoma wine countries and so much more.

They say it takes a village, and we’re lucky we’ve got a great one.

Our parents each have been married for over 35 years. They are intelligent, caring, and fun—and they can’t wait to become grandparents. From family Disney vacations to cooking together, our parents raised us with a spirit of discovery and not to take ourselves too seriously. While they live in Philadelphia and Phoenix, we see them frequently, and they are eager to come to Oakland and be involved in our future child’s life. Ari’s younger sister plus a bunch of aunts, uncles, and cousins who live nearby round out our family circle.

Our village is made stronger through our many close friendships in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Lots of these friends have been a part of our lives for decades, and many now have young kids of their own. We’ve become uncles many times over and love being a part of their lives. A perfect Saturday night consists of us cooking a big homemade meal for our friends and playing with their little ones on the floor.

We are so grateful to be able to share our story, and our hopes and dreams with you. We completely understand that this is one of the toughest decisions you will ever make, and we do not take that lightly. No matter what or who you choose, your child will be incredibly loved.

We hope you can see the devoted and equal partnership we have built together, and the values and spirit we will bring to our growing family. That we support each other and are dedicated to creating a better world. That we keep things light and encourage singing and dancing in the living room. And that your child will forever be loved, cared for, and protected.